Random Notes From A Late Night Tea Drinker

I think this post is something of a first for me. According to my computer clock, it is now precisely 3:44 AM on a Sunday morning. Never before in my memory have I attempted to write coherently a blog destined for this web site in the wee hours of the morning; long before dawn arrives and well after the time most people have retired for the night. What has given me the confidence to attempt this unprecedented exercise is the tall cup of Tetley Orange Pekoe tea that I have to the left of me and the knowledge that I have a busy couple of days ahead (no rest for the wicked, I guess.)

Don't get me wrong. I think coffee is a wonderful drink from both a cultural and gastronomic point of view, but to me there is no matching a simple, well-prepared cup of tea. Granted, what constitutes a "well-prepared" cup of tea may vary with individual taste. But assuming that the criteria are met and the tea is to your satisfaction, how can one find fault with it? Its surpassing versatility makes it ideal for not only early morning but as a nightcap too. It is a drink that is stimulating, but in a way that is more subtle than is the case with the average cup of coffee. Its mild, unassuming taste is appropriate to almost every social occasion.

So here I am drinking tea and writing a blog about it. What could be more delightful an occupation for a very early Sunday morning?

Note: I have been invited to attend a staff meeting at Destination Cafe this Monday, where lunch (and hopefully coffee) will be provided. If all goes well, and my supervisor agrees, I will post another blog and report back to you. At the very least I hope to obtain some freshly roasted coffee to take back home and enjoy for myself, sharing the experience with my readers in the only way I know how: By writing about it.

Remember, dear readers, that coffee really needs to be freshly roasted and drunk within a few days for the beverage to truly live up to its potential. Anything other than freshly roasted coffee is second rate. That is the unfortunate reality. But is there really a difference, or is it a taste that can only be savoured by a true connoisseur? These are all questions that can ultimately only be decided by the individual themselves, but I will try and help point the way in future posts.